Antoon

Born in Hoorn, the Netherlands, in 2002 under the name Valentijn Verkerk, Antoon emerged at the turn of the 2020s in a register that crosses Dutch pop, melodic rap, and songs with light electronic productions. Trained at the Herman Brood Academy, where he met Big2, a member of The Opposites, who accompanied his beginnings and released with him the EP Heilig Water in 2020. In the same year, Antoon brought his name to the fore with the track Hyperventilatie, then released his first album De nacht is van ons in July 2020. His writing relies on very direct choruses, sung toplines, and a flexible rap cadence, between youthful energy and a pop tone. As releases continued, Antoon developed an accessible format, designed as much for the studio as for large Dutch stages and festivals, while collaborating occasionally with local artists such as Kris Kross Amsterdam, Ronnie Flex, Sterre or Sigourney K. In 2022, the Hallo EP and the tracks Hallo, Olivia or Hotelschool further broadened his visibility, before the Engel album in 2023. Antoon then continued with the EP Gezichten in 2024, maintaining this line where rap, urban pop, and dance productions mingle, without breaking with a simple and immediate writing style.